Valve



Patented Jan: 9, 1951 OFFICE VALVE.

Harry 0.. Grant, Jr., Rldg ewoo d, N. .L, assignor to SpecialtiesDevelopment Corporation, Bloomfield, NHL, a corporation of New JerseyApplication June s, 1946, Serial No. 675,422

This invention relates to valves, and particularly to valves forcontrolling the discharge of fiuid media under pressure.

In a valve of the above-indicated character, especially for controllingthe discharge of a high pressure fire extinguishing fluid medium, it isessential to provide quick discharge and a high rate of flow where thefire is burning gasoline or the like. In such case, the introduction ofthe extinguishing medium in adequate quantity within fractions ofseconds may be of paramount importance.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a valvewhich facilitates a high rate of discharge therethrough.

Another object is to provide a valve wherein the main discharge fiow isstraight through the valve, thus eliminating any bend or turn in theflow passage.

Another object is to provide a valve structure of the above-indicatedcharacter which is simple and durable in construction, economical tomanufacture, and effective in its operation.

A further object is to provide a valve structure which may be utilizedas a discharge control head for a fluid pressure medium container and asa direction valve in a fire extinguishing system.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing,forming a part of the specification, wherein the single figure is alongitudinal sectional view, illustratinga valve constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the valve shown therein comprises a valve bodyor housing I having a straight through opening or bore including a mainvalve inlet chamber I4 in an exteriorily screw-threaded nipple portionI5, a partition 20 formed with a main valve port 2|, and a cylinder 22at the opposite side of the partition 20 from the chamber I4 having apiston chamber 23, and a portion 24 of slightly larger diameter than thechamber 23 formed in an exteriorly screw-threaded outlet end nippleportion 26. The partition 20 has a valve seat 28 in the chamber I 4, anda recess 30 in the chamber 23 adjacent a side wall vent 32 of thehousing I0.

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-439) The housing I0 has a pilot valve receptacleportion 34 located laterally outwardly of the bore, which is connectedby an inlet duct 36 to the chamber I4, and by an outlet duct 38 adjacentthe adjoining ends of the chamber 23 and the cylinder portion 24, at 40.

A ring-like retainer member o closure 42, held in the cylinder portion24, between a locking ring 44 and a shoulder 46 of the housing- I0, hasarr outer groove for a packing ring 48, and a central bore 49 providedwith a groove for a packing ring 50.

A piston head 52, disposed in the chambe 23, has an outer groove for apacking ring 54, an underside annular recess 56 for a spring 58 bearingagainst a sealing washer 60 in the recess 30, an undercut annular lip 62for engagin the washer 60, and tubular passage means including an outersleeve portion 64 slidably guided in the retainer member 42 and an innersleeve portion 66 slidably guided in the port. 2| of the partition 20.The inner sleeve portion 66 has side wall aperture means 68 adjacent itsfree end, and has a centrally apertured base portion III.

A main valve assembly 'iI comprises a screw 12, accessible through thestem portions 64 and G6, which extends through base portion 10 and isprovided with a groove for a packing ring 14, a screw-threaded portionI6, and a streamline inner end I8. The assembly further comprises a locknut threaded on the portion I6 to hold thereon a main valve member 82having a recess for a sealing washer 84 and a bent-in side wall 86 forholding the washer 84 for engagement with the seat 28.

A pilot valve housing member 87. screw-threaded in position in the pilotvalve receptacle portion 34, has a pilot valve seat 88, against which apilot valve member 90 is held by aspring 92 extending between the member90 and a porous disc 94 held by a lock ring 96. A short stem 98 of thepilot valve member 90 extends through a port surrounded by ascrew-threaded nipple or mounting portion I00 for receiving a controlhead I02 for operating the pilot valve member 90 and venting the fluidpressure side of the piston 52 through the duct 38 when the pilot valveis c osed.

The control head I02 for purposes of illustration may comprise a casingbody II2 supported by the mounting portion I00, and enclosing a memberII4 of substantially cup-shape having an apertured inner end wall H6,and containing a bushing I20. A plunger head I22, for engagement withthe pilot valve stem 98 to unseat the pilot valve member 90, is carriedby an apertured 3. body I24 carrying a sealing disc I28 and having anouter end flange I28, between which and the wall IIG a spring I30extends for normally hold ing the plunger head I22 in the positionshown.

A stem I32, having a portion I34 screw threaded in the casing body II2,has a fixed handwheel I36 normally locked to the body II2 by a pin I38.An axial passage I40 and radial passages I42 in the stem I32 normallyprovide free venting of the pressure side of the piston 52 from theposition 40, through the duct 88, through the apertured end H6, andthrough the apertures in the body I24 to the passage I40.

It will be understood that other types of control heads may be employedwhich are adapted to be operated locally or remotely.

Conduit fitting adapters I04 and I06 are secured to the housing I on therespective nipple portions I6 and 26 of the housing I0 by nuts I08 and II0, respectively, for connecting the valve to a source of pressure fluidmedium, through the adapter I04, and to fluid dispensing means throughthe adapter I06. By reason of this arrangement, adapters havingdifferent size inner bores are adapted to be interchangeably connectedto the housing 10, whereby the housing may be connected in conduits ofdifferent diameters.

The valve is adapted to be used in fire extinguishing systems as adirection valve, and is also adapted to be used as a container dischargecontrol valve merely by connecting an adapter I04 thereto which isadapted to be secured in the -outlet of a container for fluid mediumunder pressure.

In operation, the piston 52' is normally held in the retracted position,with the main valve member 82 in the closed position, illustrated, bythe pressure of the fluid medium on the member 82, and by the spring 58,which avoids the necessity for a spring in the main inlet or valvechamber I4, whereby turbulence normally caused by such a spring iseliminated.

With the pin I38 removed, when the handwheel I36 is turned, the stem I32advances to first engage the disc I26, thereby closing the ventin of thepressure side of piston 52, but leaving the duct 38 open for the passageof the pressure fluid when, upon further advance of the stem I32, theplunger head I22 unseats the pilot valve member 90.

When the pilot valve member is unseated, fluid medium passes from theinlet chamber I4, through the duct 36, past the pilot valve member 90,and through the duct 38 to the position 40 of the cylinder 22 at thepressure side of the piston 52. The latter is instantly moved to openthe main valve member 82 andto press the lip 62 against the washer 60,whereby the vent 32 is sealed relative to any fluid pressure through theport 2| in the partition 20. The main discharge of the fluid mediumpasses through the side wall apertures 68 in the inner sleeve portion66, through the latter portion, the piston 52, the outer sleeve portion64 in to the conduit connected to the adapter I06.

If it is desired to stop the discharge of the fluid medium, thehandwheel I36 is turned in a direction to move the stem I32 outwardly.This permits the pilot valve member to seat and shut oif communicationbetween the ducts 36 and 38, while the medium in the cylinder 22 isvented to the atmosphere through the passage I40 of the stem, therebyenabling the spring 58 to effect closing of the main valve.

From the above description, it is apparent that 4 a novel valve devicehas been provided, which facilitates a high rate of discharge, withminimum turbulence and retarding efiect, which handles fluid presuremedium more efiectively, and is an improvement generally forextinguishing fires quickly, and in other applications where abiiighrate of discharge is necessary or desira e.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herev in. without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in any limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all the generic and speciflc features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A valve comprising a housin having a bore 1 extendin therethroughprovided with inlet and outlet ends. and a partition adjacent the inletend provided with an aperture serving as a valve port anda bushing, avalve seat on said partition at the side facing the inlet end of saidbore, a closure at the outlet end of said bore having an apertureserving as a bushing in coaxial alignment with said valve port aperture,a piston in said bore between said closure and said partition having atubular extension at each side thereof,

one of which extends through said aperture of said closure and the otherof which extends through said aperture of said partition, said lastmentioned tubular portion having lateral openings adjacent its end and avalve member secured on the end thereof for engaging said valve seat,said housing having a passageway extending from the valve seat side ofsaid bore to said bore between said closure and said piston and having avent extendin from said bore between said partition and said piston tothe exterior, and a pilot valve member for controlling said pasageway.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein a spring is disposed betweensaid piston and said partition for normally urging said piston in a,direction to cause said valve member to engage its seat.

3. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said partition at its sideopposite said valve seat and said piston having means cooperating toform a seal between said aperture in said partition and said vent.

HARRY C. GRANT, JR-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 453,012 Lonergan May 26, 18911,631,482 Gfeller June 7, 1927 1,700,111 Welcker Jan. 22, 1929 1,813,581Rodrigues July 7, 1931 2,097,201 Renkenberger Oct. 26, 1937 2,284,961Hall June 2, 1942 2,398,775 Beekley Apr. 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 483,835 Great Britain of 1936

